Luck absolute
by SniperR
Summary: Laguna faces many events that cause him more and more pain. Not sure if the rating should be higher or not... One shot.


**A/N: Wow, my longest one shot (and quite possibly story) ever. :) This one took a while, and I'm pretty proud of it to tell you the truth. Centered around Laguna, obviously, and I can't really say who the second character is, but it looks to be Kiros. Could be Squall also though. :s Anyway, on with the story!

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**Luck absolute**

**Author: SniperR**

**Time spent typing: A few months**

**Length: 18 807 words**

**Act 1**

It had taken a while for Laguna to realize it. He was a little dull, it was true, but these things where not hard to notice, or where they? He couldn't quite remember what that psychologist friend of his had told him.

Anyway.

When he and Kiros had passed each other that morning it never occurred to Laguna that Kiros hadn't spoken to him. It happened like that sometimes because either would be so stressed by the amount of work needed to be done that they would just zone out completely. Laguna knew, it happened to him more frequently now.

Not that it had worried him one bit, the usual "Hi." had become almost routine, but he wasn't even given the chance to notice that he was getting the cold shoulder due to the fact that their desks where in separate rooms and down the hallway from each other. He smiled for the umpteenth time that morning, talking to someone he'd rather not about something or other. All he knew was that he had a meeting in the morning about the old railroad that connected Galbadia to Esthar. The damned thing was not in use and in the way of shipping trade. It either had to be used or destroyed. That was to be decided. Laguna sighed.

It was Ward that brought up the subject and mentioned to Laguna that Kiros was… "angry with him". Well, he wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Laguna innocently with the stack of paperwork. It was unusually well thought out:

_Kiros is mad. He said it was something you did. Thought you should know._

_Ward_

Laguna blinked in confusion. Was he mad…? Why hadn't he noticed? It was then that Laguna noticed that they hadn't talked or seen each other at all. That was unusual. Laguna scratched his head. It was almost ten, he would be off for lunch in two hours. Somehow work didn't seem to appeal to him anymore, but he continued regardless. Esthar was high maintenance and didn't run itself.

During the short one hour dinner break he took off from his office with the intention to talk to Kiros. Ward was pretty accurate with these things, but he couldn't see what he had done to merit Kiros' anger. It was unusual that he was angry: he had a calm attitude about everything, even battle. Laguna racked his brain thinking about the possible reason(s), but he could only come up with a few.

1) Too much paperwork. Somehow that one didn't quite seem it. The paperwork was unusually light at the moment, even for him.

2) He was lonely. It happened sometimes that Kiros would get into these "moods". It happened frequently during the first few years Laguna had been in office, but he had handled it pretty well.

3) He was frustrated. That was probably it. But why was he frustrated then?

Laguna sighed angrily. This was making _him_ mad.

He was unsuccessful in finding his friend. Mind you, it had taken him the entire hour to search the Presidential Palace, and when he returned to his office and sat down he realized he hadn't eaten. This was going to be one long afternoon… Thank Hyne for small miracles: he didn't have any meetings.

Technically, his paycheck only covered until six in the evening, but Laguna had worked past that even though he had other, more important things that he wanted to attend to. So it was just past seven when he left and headed for the kitchen realizing it had been way too long since he had eaten. It had bothered him all afternoon, sometimes making the letters dance on the paper he was staring blankly at. He remembered thinking "Those are banned, aren't they?" and then practically falling forward on his paperwork.

Laguna didn't really see the necessity to eat, at least not when he thought one of his two _best_ friends was angry with him. He leaned his back against the door to the kitchen and debated whether it was better to eat or go find Kiros first. He figured his friend might just be in the kitchen, so he decided to check there first.

Well, he wasn't there. Ward was, so he just asked him if Kiros had come by. He shook his head and Laguna sighed, frustrated.

_Wow, powerful emotion these days…_ He mused darkly and left the kitchen. His stomach rumbled, protesting it's lack of matter to digest, but Laguna didn't turn back. No, food wasn't on his mind right now.

It was only when he was walking down the hallway that Laguna had a brilliant idea. Why not just ask someone where Kiros was? For once in his life the halls where bare, not a soul was occupying it save Laguna's.

He rounded a corner to find Reeves, the psychologist, walking towards him.

"Hey Reeves." He said, jogging up to the man.

"Good evening. And what can I do for you?" He asked pleasantly… which irritated Laguna slightly. He didn't let it bother him though, Reeves was a friend after all.

"Have you seen Kiros around?" He asked, trying not to look like he was too interested in finding him. Reeves gave him a smile.

That was not a nice smile.

He reserved that for times when he knew something and planned to taunt Laguna with it. Hyne, last time he had done so Laguna had almost lost his mind in frustration and somehow ended up learning that his son was fighting the sorceress…

He had also conveniently learned that Reeves and Kiros had knacks for blackmail. He didn't want a repeat of that last incident… he gulped.

"C'mon man, don't do this to me. Just tell me where he is… if you know." Laguna crossed his arms. Reeves was slightly shorter than he was and as skinny as Squall. He had short graying brown hair and green eyes. He didn't look imposing, but damn, he could sure argue.

"Sure. He's in his apartment. And Laguna, don't do what, exactly?" He smiled again. If they weren't friends Laguna would have taken that as a threat.

"Just… never m-… I have no time for mind games! I'm hungry, haven't eaten all day, frustrated, worried right now and can't seem to grasp the fact that Kiros' mad at me." Laguna felt a slight bit relieved for having told someone, but that still wouldn't remedy the fact that he was worried.

"Ah." Reeves said in comprehension. "Well, I did talk to him earlier and he did seem slightly… 'peeved'. Maybe frustrated would suit him better… He mentioned you, something about… now what was it?" Laguna groaned. Not this again, he did _not_ want to play at guessing games.

"Later, Reeves, later. Right now I have to go." He took off down the hall before Reeves could counter with something else.

Just the act of running made Laguna's heart race. He was so weak from no nutrition that he just wanted to sleep. But there where more important things to do… like what? He didn't even know for sure if Kiros was mad… but Ward had said it… Laguna felt suddenly sick.

_Just ignore it for now._ He thought angrily.

His left eye seemed to blur for a moment, and then there was something like a watery half-ring in his peripheral vision to his left which distorted the vision the same way that looking up through water with goggles did. He tried blinking it away but it did nothing. It was the foreboding for one hell of a migraine…

He made it to the residential wing of the palace before the pain started to manifest itself. It was just a dull throbbing, but he knew that it would eventually become crippling. Afterwards would come the ill feeling and then it would go away. Better talk to Kiros before he would crash out and sleep restlessly…

When he made it to Kiros' apartment the throbbing in his head had begun to annoy him. It wasn't all that painful, but it was becoming something of a nuisance. And the pain seemed to be just above his eyes… it reminded him of sinus headaches.

Laguna knocked at the door, suddenly wishing Kiros weren't there at all. The migraine was worsening much faster than he expected.

The door opened. When Kiros saw Laguna he didn't move, didn't do a thing, just stared at him. There was no outward sign of anger, nothing in his body language betrayed his emotions. Laguna took a half a second to seek some sort of sign that could tell him what he was feeling, but he found nothing.

"Hey." Muttered Laguna. "Um… Are you mad at me? 'Cuz Ward said you where." Straight and to the point. He waited, but Kiros said nothing, just blinked. He was acing as though Laguna weren't even there.

"…well?" Asked Laguna, lifting his arms momentarily. "Can't you just nod or some… thing…" His voice gave out on his last words. He suddenly felt very awkward and the silence around him became unnerving. They both stood there: Laguna fidgeting nervously and Kiros holding the door. It was almost becoming too much. To add to the already tense moment, Laguna's slowly intensifying migraine was making his vision fade and his head ache. The lights where beginning to bother him too…

Kiros shifted, still not betraying anything about his mood.

Laguna also shifted, rubbing his forehead gingerly.

"Can you just answer me, please?" Laguna pleaded, clasping his hands together. When Kiros did nothing he continued. "It's bothering me… that you're mad. At least, I think you are, not that you've told me. But Ward told me and I believe him. I'm guessing you are, 'cuz you're not talking to me at all…" Laguna slouched when Kiros still did nothing. He let out a deep sigh. He couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with Kiros, thinking if he did the man would be able to see just how weak this was making him.

"Was it something I did…?" Asked Laguna quietly, shaking his head quickly to ward off the pain.

Kiros' gaze hardened before he slammed the door. Laguna was taken aback, he wasn't expecting anything like that.

"What did I do?" Laguna asked through the door. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry." He waited for a few seconds before turning around, deciding that it was a waste of time seeing how Kiros more than likely didn't want to talk to him.

_What _did_ I do?_ Laguna thought sadly. He couldn't think of anything, his mind drawing a blank. He certainly didn't mean to hurt him, but he would have at least liked to know what it was he had done.

Laguna groaned, there was that migraine he was expecting.

The lights became much too bright and all the quiet sounds of the palace where amplified so much it hurt. He wanted to go to his apartment, but he was glued to the ground, unable to will his feet to move. Dizziness took over and he had to brace himself against the doorframe to keep himself from falling.

_This isn't normal..._

No, from his experience dizziness had never accompanied a migraine.

A malaise accompanied the dizziness, and there was a sudden explosion of heat in his body. Perspiration glistened across his forehead and began to move in little droplets down his face. Next there was a queasiness and Laguna knew he was about to vomit. But what was there to vomit? His stomach suddenly felt full but he hadn't eaten at all. A chill darted up his spine and he no longer felt hot. His legs suddenly felt like jell-o and his arms like lead.

His vision blurred and the reds of the carpet, the blues of the walls and the whites of the ceiling began to mold together into a cacophony of colors.

Laguna couldn't help it as his legs gave out and he emptied his stomach onto the floor. The carpet became redder as the water he had earlier drank was retched out of his body. Laguna strained to get up, but he found himself too weak.

_W-what's going on!_ Thought Laguna in a panic. He was scared, this had never happened before. He never felt this weak, this drained. There was something wrong with his body, he thought so in fear.

He threw himself against the door, hoping Kiros had heard the resounding thump his body had made.

"Kiros!" He yelled, but was surprised to find that his voice was faint and far away. He banged his head against the door once, twice, but nothing happened. He slumped against the solid wood, exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open even if his the last thing he wanted to do was lose consciousness.

Death.

He was dieing.

No, that was silly.

But the darkness was overtaking him. He fell backwards, the door having opened. He heard Kiros' voice worryingly call his name. He realized how strange it must look for him to be on the floor.

There was a pressure against his back. He couldn't see. He felt something against his forehead. Laguna whimpered. His head was killing him. There was no energy in his body. He was scared. What was that smell? Blood? Who's blood? He panicked. He heard someone scream for a medic. Realization dawned upon him.

That wasn't water.

Everything faded and turned black.

* * *

Laguna opened his eyes to the sound of voices and people scurrying about. He didn't feel any pain, just grogginess. Around him people where fussing about this and that with clipboards in hand and pens scratching hastily upon paper.

That incident must have caused one hell of a ruckus.

He tried to remember what happened, but the memories where all fuzzy. He lost consciousness.

He regained consciousness a few times, only to fall back into darkness after a few moments.

-----

Poison.

That's what the doctors told him. He was poisoned.

"Must have been the water… I didn't eat all day." Laguna explained to Dr. Snow. He was a big, chubby man with a friendly smile and a bushy, gray beard. He nodded in acquisition and examined his clipboard.

"It was extremely powerful poison: could have killed you easily. You're just lucky someone found you immediately, we were able to stop it before the full effect set in." Laguna nodded. Another near death experience to add to his list. At least the assassination attempts were getting fewer in number, now it was only one every few months instead of few days. That's why he liked to keep Ward and Kiros c-

Kiros.

"Hey doc, did you see Kiros around?" He asked. Maybe now they could talk…

Snow sat on a chair, placed his clipboard on his knees professionally and gave Laguna a serious look.

"Mr. Loire…" Snow began. He removed his glasses. "Do you know any reason why he would poison you?" Laguna blinked. He couldn't have heard right, Kiros wouldn't do anything like that. Never.

"Are you crazy? Kiros wouldn't try to kill me!" Snow shook his head, there was a comforting understanding in his voice

"I know it's hard to hear, but-" Laguna sat upright and glared knives and daggers at Snow.

"He didn't! He wouldn't! What evidence do you have to prove that!"

It only now occurred to Laguna that Kiros was mad at him… but he still wouldn't try to assassinate him. No, that wasn't even Kiros' style. He would have just told Laguna he was going to murder him and _then_ proceed to kill him.

Snow sighed.

"They found the poison in his room, Laguna. He also handles all edible items that get passed onto you. Who else could have put the poison in your water?"

For once, Laguna was at a loss for words. It was irrefutable… the evidence proved it was Kiros… but something didn't seem right. Laguna knew Kiros very, _very_ well, and poison was not a method he would use to kill someone. Hell, if he was so mad at Laguna he would have used psychological warfare instead and left Esthar. No… this was not Kiros' doing. But it was so difficult to explain that to someone who didn't know the man personally. There was really only him and Ward… and whoever had been Kiros in the "dreamworld" as Elle had called it.

"I want to see him." Laguna urged.

"He's in a holding chamber right now, and you're not leaving that bed for a few days. You have to rest. Ward is taking care of your duties while you're out. I'm sorry Mr. Loire, but leaving is out of the question." Snow fiddled with the pen in his hand.

"For Hyne's sake, I'm the _president_! I can do what I want!" Now Laguna was pissed. He had never been pissed, and this was an emotion he didn't like. What did Snow know anyway? He was just a doctor.

"Please, Laguna. The poison hasn't left your body yet! You could have a relapse!"

"I honestly don't care!"

"Mr. Loire… you don't realize what could happen to you if you-"

"I said I don't care! Let me see Kiros!"

"We can continue to argue like this but it won't help. No amount of willpower will get you out of this hospital ward." It annoyed Laguna that Snow was not raising his voice. If arguing his authority wasn't going to work…

"_Please_… You don't seem to understand. He _couldn't _have done it… just let me talk to him, I'll come back, I promise." Laguna shifted so he was sitting on his knees, hands clasped in front of him. Snow watched him for a moment before sighing. He rubbed his eyes and Laguna realized just how hard he was being on the man. Heck, he must have been as frustrated and stressed as Laguna who ran the country… if not more.

"President Loire, I can't do that. It's not my authority." He stood.

"Who's authority is it?" Asked Laguna.

"Yours."

"But why can't I leave then?"

"It's law." Snow opened the door. He stopped dead, looking at someone who was standing there. He let the person in and left.

"Squall." Laguna nodded, acknowledging his son… '_who doesn't even know he's my son'_ thought Laguna.

"Laguna." Squall nodded, taking a seat in a chair next to the bed. Laguna shifted and sat cross legged on top of the blankets. There was a moment of silence. Laguna would have been happy just relishing Squall's presence, but he was much too anxious at the moment. It was he that spoke first.

"Why are you here? Worried about me?"

"Kiros asked me to come." Laguna looked surprised. "He had one call, he just told me to help you."

"But why you? I mean… a lawyer would have made more sense."

"That's what I gathered. You know him better than I do, what do you think it was about? And before you tell me, can you explain to me what's going on? He never bothered to mention what this was about, all I know is that he's in prison right now." Laguna nodded. That was the most he had ever heard Squall say without a pause. He smiled despite himself.

"Well, someone tried to poison me… ok, ok, they succeeded in poisoning me. They also think it was Kiros that did it just because they found the poison in his room and he happens to be the person who checks everything I eat and or drink before I get it." He saw the look Squall gave him. "He couldn't have done it, Squall! He couldn't!"

Laguna looked defeated.

"Sounds to me like he did it." Squall crossed his arms.

"I know… but it's just not Kiros, y'know? And I'm not allowed to leave this room… if I know anything about the law he's going to be tried… sometime in the next three days… and if he's found guilty-" Laguna berried his head in his hands quickly to stop his tears.

Squall placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was probably the biggest gesture he would ever do for this man. He felt he had this bond with him, probably because he spent time in his head during his escapade when he first became a SeeD. But it felt like something more, like there was something he should know about this… 'bond' between them. He quickly chucked this feeling aside to pity.

"Is there anything at all that can be done?" He asked, whispering into Laguna's ear in case there was security in he room. It tickled and Laguna chuckled.

"Stop that, it tickles." He breathed. He lifted his head again, bringing up his knees and resting his chin on his arms. "I can't…" He took a beep breath to calm himself. "I can't do anything from here. And my credibility is almost none at the moment because I'll be deemed "ill and delusional". Ward might be able to help, but he's taken over my duties while I'm away… he has no time. Dammit, we need more time!" Laguna slammed the wall behind him with his fist. He heard a rush of footsteps outside the door and Dr. Snow poked his head in through the door.

"Everything all right?" He asked gently. Laguna nodded and Squall waved him off. He shut the door quietly.

There was a long pause where neither spoke. Squall shut his eyes and listened, analyzing all the sounds of the hospital room. He heard Laguna's breathing, the thrumming of various instruments, muffled footsteps and incoherent words spoken on the other side of the curtained window. The lack of communication was comforting for once, like all the answers would suddenly appear out of the silence if they just waited long enough. Laguna sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He unwillingly imagined the worst possible outcome, the one where Kiros would be found guilty. He clamped his teeth together and willed these thoughts to stop: he was an optimist, he shouldn't have to deal with this. What he needed was comfort, what he needed was Kiros to be acquitted of the charge, what he needed was…

… a lawyer.

"Squall, maybe there's something you _can _do." Squall opened his eyes and was brought back to his senses. He couldn't believe he had almost fallen asleep.

"I hate to say this, but whatever it is I'll do it… short of breaking the law, of course." Laguna gathered his thoughts quickly.

"Get him a lawyer… a private investigator… a secret agent, I don't really care, just get someone that would be able to say it wasn't him!" Squall mentally sneered at Laguna's lack of professionalism in such a serious situation, but nodded none the less. It would be hard to find a lawyer on such short notice, but he knew he could pull some strings. Being a leader had it's perks.

Squall heard running outside the door and a female voice pleading to be let through. He went to the door and peered outside. His face brightened and he told the doctors to let her through, that it was ok. She ran to him and hugged him tightly in thanks before making her way into Laguna's room.

"Uncle Laguna! You're ok!" Ellone almost threw herself onto him, but fear of hurting him made her sit quietly at his side.

"What, no hug for me?" He crossed his arms in mock anger and she laughed, leaning over to bring him into the strongest hug she could muster.

"Thank Hyne you're ok, when the news said you had been poisoned… I thought…" She burst into tears, sobbing against his chest.

"It's ok Elle, I'm here, I'm ok, I won't be leaving you anytime soon." He ran a hand trough her hair comfortingly. Squall couldn't help be jealous, why did she go straight to him? Laguna saw the look on Squall's face and mouthed (I'm sorry).

_Of course Leonhart, you're not the one who almost died._ He reminded himself bitterly.

"What did the news say, exactly?" Squall asked, almost unable to stop the bitterness in his voice. Ellone looked at him pleadingly before she let go of Laguna and sat quietly on the bed. She knew Squall was jealous.

"It only said that Uncle Laguna had been poisoned, that he was in the hospital and I almost collapsed when they said the main suspect was Kiros. I never would have dreamed…" Ellone shook her head. She turned to Laguna. "Mr. Kiros couldn't have done it, could he?" She asked, almost pleading with Laguna to tell her no. She knew him well, she refused to believe he was that bad. Sure he insulted Laguna, but there was always a friendliness behind them that let him know he was just… being critical. Squall saw something of the little Ellone in her at that moment and felt an overwhelming urge to comfort her. He couldn't bring himself to go over and hug her, so he just sat in the chair next to the bed and watched.

"I know it wasn't him. I can't prove it, it's just a feeling. I mean, if he was planning to do it why wait this long?" Laguna felt slightly tired and leaned back against the headboard. Ellone looked worried but he simply shook his head.

"I'm fine Elle, just tired." He reassured her. There was a moment where neither of the three spoke, letting the uncomfortable silence reign in the small room.

Laguna knew had Kiros been there he would have asked something like "Well, what do we do now?" He was about to voice the thought when Ellone spoke up.

"What happens if he's found guilty? What's the prison sentence?" Laguna knew she was just avoiding the truth, he _knew_ she dreaded what the real penalty would be. An assassination attempt on the president didn't give a jail sentence…

Laguna just looked at Ellone and sighed.

"Ellone, an assassination attempt on me doesn't give a jail sentence…" She looked at Squall pleadingly. Squall shifted his eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry." Squall whispered. Ellone stood up abruptly.

"NO!" She balled her hands into tight fists and held them rigidly at her sides. She closed her eyes and shook her head, short hair waving this way and that.

Squall acted on his instinct and held her tightly to him. She made a whimpering noise before trying to hold in the tears.

"They can't!" She creamed into his chest. Laguna held his head in between his hands and Squall just watched the both of them, suddenly wishing he could show his emotions the same way they could. But he couldn't muster a great sense of sadness, Kiros not having a great importance to him like the other two.

"I wish I'd know what's going to happen. It would be so much easier if we just knew what they where going to use against him." He held Ellone tighter and kissed her forehead. Laguna shook his head and returned his gaze to Squall.

"The evidence is simple enough: Kiros' job and where the poison was found. What we need to do is find a way to prove that the poison was planted there. So that means back to the option of finding a lawyer. Squall, have anyone in mind?" Squall sighed and felt Ellone shudder against him.

"Don't… don't yell at me, but what if it really was Kiros?" He asked, staring Laguna in the eyes. The latter felt the anger start to rise inside of him, how dare Squall even suggest such a thing?

"Squall, is there an implication in that? There had better be, because Kiros would never, I mean _never_ try to kill me. We've been friends since he joined the army, do you know how long it's been?" Squall nodded and spoke before Laguna had the chance to add to his threat. Laguna willingly let his son continue.

"I'm implying that Kiros could have been possessed. It's plausible, I mean look what happened to Rinoa and Seifer." He felt Ellone stir and let her go. She looked at both men for a second before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She fixed her hair and a resolved look dominated her features.

"I can send you into the future." She said calmly. Laguna blinked in confusion and Squall just stared at her. Was that possible?

"…you can?" Asked Laguna, his fists tightening around the rough blankets on his bed. Squall saw hope in his face.

"Yes, but it's limited, just like the episodes to the past. I can only do so much without weakening myself. So what do we want to see?" She asked, looking at Laguna. "It's your call, uncle." Squall looked at Laguna too. He seemed to be contemplating very hard. Squall understood: his best friend's life was hanging in the balance, hinging on what Laguna decided to see. If he decided right, it would improve their chances of wining. If he chose wrong, it would serve nothing. Even though Squall knew that they should be concentrating on finding a lawyer the idea appealed to him. It would give them something to go on.

Then again, he had to worry about fate. What if they saw was the definitive outcome? Was it possible to change fate, or was it decided long before? Could one person change the events written in time? It was too much to wrap his mind around, no matter how hard he tried…

"In that case, I want to know the verdict." Laguna played with a string on his clothing.

"Think about this Laguna, why not see what they're going to use against him? Wouldn't that make more sense?" In Squall's point of view, knowing the evidence was more useful than knowing the outcome.

"Yeah, to you. But I know what they're going to put up as evidence, it's obvious. Besides, if Kiros was possessed like you suggested…" Ellone finished his sentence for him.

"… his fingerprints will be on the bottle." Laguna nodded, thankful she was both intelligent and logical.

"So, we just have to see the verdict. If he's found guilty, I'll get him out of Esthar. I won't let him die. I promised I wouldn't. Man, that was a long time ago." Laguna was suddenly lost in memory.

"Ellone, send me as close as you can to the time of the verdict1, if you can. While I'm gone try to get a lawyer and figure out the exact day of the trial… and the probable execution." Laguna raised a finger to signal Squall to wait. He mumbled under his breath.

"The verdict will be given… in four days' time… 3:30… about there. That's if nothing else has come up."

"Thanks. Ellone?" She nodded to him and made him sit down. He watched as she raised her arms. He felt very drowsy and passed out, slumping against the chair like he was asleep.

Ellone spoke up.

"Have you told him yet?" She asked softly. Laguna shook his head.

"No."

**

* * *

**

When Squall came to he was standing in the middle of the town square. There where many people around him, an entire crowd of spectators. He whirled around, seeing Laguna standing there, and not far away stood Kiros, handcuffed and held by two guard. The judge stood in between and ahead of the two men and far off to the left stood the jurists.

_Wow, just in time._ _Nice job, Elle._

He also noticed the four Estharian soldier standing next to the jurists with rifles held against their shoulders. He looked back and saw how agitated Laguna looked and just how much fear was present on Kiros' face. Dread started to take a hold of Squall's conscience.

The judge made a noise into the microphone to gain the throng's attention. The square quieted immediately. Squall moved closer to Laguna and experimented with his hand, trying to pass it through Laguna's arm: he hadn't had much freedom in the dreamworld. Now he could walk as he pleased and do what he liked on his own accord. His hand passed through Laguna. He withdrew it immediately but saw no indication on Laguna's face that he had felt anything.

"We have gathered you all here to pass verdict on Mr. Kiros Seagull. This is customary with all trials pertaining to assassination attempts against the president. It has to be pointed out that there has never been an accusation of attempted assassination against an attendant, so there was much consideration put into this verdict." He opened an envelope and read very neatly from the letter: "Kiros Seagull, President Loire's attendant, you are hereby accused of attempting to assassinate the president. For consideration of the overwhelming evidence, even with the strength of the defense, you are hereby sentenced:…"

Squall bowed his head.

"…guilty."

He figured he was going to return to his own world now that he knew how the trial would end, but there was something nagging at him from the back of his mind, telling him that he didn't know how to return. Maybe there was something left to see? Whatever it was…

Squall was brought out of his reverie by the sound of rifles being loaded. Squall's eyed widened as he realized what was going on. He turned quickly to Laguna who was watching Kiros and trying desperately to hold his composure. Kiros was also watching Laguna, knowing that this was the last time they would ever see each other.

_No,_ thought Squall, _not a public execution…_

Laguna would be forced to watch.

This was just too much.

Even though he couldn't bear the thought of seeing Laguna in as much pain as it would bring (still, he didn't know why he felt a bond towards Laguna) Squall couldn't tear himself away. Something about the though of death brought up a sudden urge to watch, something about the thrill of seeing something die forced him to watch as the soldiers readied their rifles and took aim. The judge raised his hand and the crowd stood agape. Laguna mouthed something to Kiros, who nodded discretely and faced the soldiers. Laguna's soldiers. Squall stood stalk still.

The judge dropped his hand.

All at the same time the guns fired, bullets flew, Laguna's eyes widened, the crowd gasped and a few screamed, mostly children, Kiros twitched, his face contorted as more than sixteen bullets littered his chest and he fell to the stage floor, his blood seeping into a large circle.

It was over.

Squall blacked out.

When he regained consciousness Squall fully expected to wake up in the chair back in the hospital wing, but instead he woke up in Laguna's office. The indication that he was still in the future was that he was face-to-face with himself. A few other people where also with his double, namely Ward, Quistis, Cid and Edea. They where obviously waiting.

The door opened and Ellone came in.

"Any news yet?" She asked quietly, looking at Squall with something that looked like desperation Squall shook his head. Quistis spoke up.

"This is maddening. I know they didn't want the verdict to be covered by the media, but I want to know if we won. Do you think Laguna's going to go to his apartment first? Why did you want us to come here first anyway Squall?" Everyone turned to their commander and friend.

"Because… just say we didn't win, do you think Laguna will want to talk to someone right away? No, he'd want to be alone and would probably come here because we told him we'd be waiting at his apartment. If he does go there he'll find the note I left telling him we'll be here. Although I don't see how we couldn't wi-" Squall was cut short when the door opened.

It was Laguna. He came in with his head hung and didn't notice the people in his office. His face was perfectly blank and not a sound came from him or anyone, like something had muted the entire world. When the door was shut Laguna lifted his head and almost jumped. He noticeably didn't expect anyone to be there .

"…" Laguna just stood there for a few seconds, agape and lost for words. His expression changed to the likes of a lost child, and his shoulders seemed to sag under the immense burden he was now carrying. The lines in his face where drawn tighter, making him look older and forcing Squall to notice just how much younger that perpetual smile made him.

Squall suddenly realized just to what extent Laguna must be hurting.

"No..." It was Ellone's voice. She placed a hand to her mouth and shook her head. "No!"

Laguna walked forward a few steps before his face twisted and he let out a sob. Squall almost ran forward to meet him and Laguna threw his arms around his son, bringing him into a desperate hug from which he sought comfort he knew he couldn't find.

Then, he broke down completely and cried uncontrollably. Ellone walked over to Ward who looked at her sadly. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she leaned against him and cried silently. This couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

Squall felt out of place as he watched the event unfold in front of him. He knew what was going to happen, why was the future mocking him so?

Almost like someone was listening to his mind, he blacked out.

* * *

The hospital room came back into view slowly. He blinked to wash away the grogginess and saw Laguna and Ellone watching him. Ward had come in too and was sitting on the foot of the bed which sagged under the additional weight.

"Well?" Asked Laguna hopefully. Squall sat up straight. He looked at each of them for a second before inhaling deeply.

"We're going to lose." Squall said grimly. Laguna blinked and hung his head. Ellone sighed sadly and Ward just nodded slowly. "There's going to be a public execution, military style. It's really going to hurt you." Squall directed the last phrase to Laguna who nodded. Ellone looked at Squall.

"I'll send you into Kiros' past, to see just what he knew." Ward nodded. He made some sort of gesture that Squall didn't understand. Ward noticed this and grabbed a pen and notepad and scribbled something onto the paper. He handed it to Squall.

_That's a good idea. I don't think he did it. He was with me most of the day._

Squall thanked him. Laguna looked at the note and smiled. Squall knew it was a step in the right direction. All they had to so was hire a PI and a lawyer. Money was not a problem: Laguna was the president of the biggest and most powerful city on the entire planet after all.

There was that feeling again. Squall was now slightly irritated that it kept coming back, like it would only appear when he didn't want it there. His brows knitted together and he frowned at the floor. Why did he keep having the feeling that there was something between him and Laguna? There was something not being said… something that wanted to make itself known. Ellone saw the expression on Squall's face and giggled.

"You always looked like that when you where thinking too hard. What's bothering you?" Ellone asked. Ward scribbled something down, handed the notepad to Laguna and left, nodding to the three before shutting the door. Laguna sighed and rubbed at the back of his head.

"It's nothing." Squall answered, finding that lying through the skin of his teeth would be easier than explaining what he felt.

"C'mon Squall, humor us. We need some cheering up. By the way, Ward is going to find a lawyer and a PI, that's one thing settled." Laguna handed the note to Squall who read it quickly. Squall sighed, contemplating whether they would think he was crazy or gay for a having this 'feeling' about Laguna. Oh well, he could always deny, deny, deny.

"Fine. First of all, is there something you're not telling me?" He directed his attention to Laguna who laughed nervously. Ellone gave him a look.

"I can't believe you haven't told him yet. You know the longer you wait the harder it will be." She added, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Told me what?" Asked Squall, staring at Laguna like he was some strange, deformed monstrosity.

"Nothing important." Laguna watched Ellone, silently begging her not to pry. When she menaced to do something horrible, Laguna quickly added. "Well… you're… you see… how do I say this? Umm… I… well…" Ellone kicked his leg. "You're my son."

Squall didn't make a sound.

"Don't be mad at Uncle Laguna, he meant well, I'm sure." Ellone added softly, begging Squall not to be angry because Laguna had left him alone for _seventeen years_.

"…" Squall still didn't move, the confession not seeming to have sunk in yet.

"I'll understand if you're mad at me, and I'll understand if you never want to talk to me again, but I've got something important to see too, I hope you understand if I can't… y'know… be fatherly right now."

Squall thought that over and nodded lightly. At least he wouldn't have to deal with it right away. His thoughts turned back to the task at hand. Going into the past seemed like a good idea, but it wouldn't have the same credibility as, say, a taped conversation. He voiced his theory.

"I'm going to go talk to Kiros." Ellone and Laguna looked surprised at Squall's sudden change in subject. "I think it would be more believable if we took his word for it." Laguna nodded. Ellone stood up.

"I'm coming with you then, Uncle Laguna can take care of himself." She threw her "uncle" a apologetic look which he waved off. He always did that.

"That's ok. Just… make sure you do the most you can so we can win, ok?"

Squall reassured the man, who was his _father_, and turned to leave. Ellone was out the door, but Squall stopped, seeming to want to say something.

_Say something Squall, c'mon, you have to at least try… he's depending on you._ Squall thought to himself.

"I won't let him die." Squall said slowly, watching Laguna for a moment.

Laguna smiled.

* * *

The jail was a large, drab, grey complex with barred windows that started on the sixth floor. In contrast to popular beliefs, it was inside the city limits, but so well guarded that anyone on the inside didn't dare try an escape. The common eight-foot wire-mesh fence surrounded the lot where inmates got their exercise, and above them stood the control tower with it's tranquillizer dart shooters and even a very large destructive laser, which Squall hoped was only there to spread fear…

Squall and Ellone where given special permission to enter the maximum security area. They where taken to Kiros' cell, and after careful persuasion where let inside, and left alone.

_So being a SeeD has it's perks after all…_ Thought Squall grimly. SeeD. Mercenaries, bred to fight the sorceress, to _kill_. He would never get used to killing his own kind.

When they where left in the cell they found Kiros asleep on the cot. Well, he could have either really been asleep or just pretending to do so.

Ellone went over to him and shook his shoulder gently.

"Mr. Kiros… wake-" She yelped as he grabbed her arm reflexively, before even having opened his eyes. When he saw it was Ellone he smiled politely and let go, heaving a sigh as he did so.

"Sorry, Elle, old habits are hard to break." He sat up and stretched, noticing Squall standing awkwardly in the corner.

"Hey Squall." Squall nodded and looked for a chair. Ellone sat next to Kiros and Squall stood there, not minding in the least. He would rather stand up anyway, it made him less lazy afterwards.

"I presume you're here about my assumed poisoning of the President?" He asked, a slight note of defeat and sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah." Squall took out a small tape recorder and placed it on the small table which he moved to the center of the floor.

"Wait!" Ellone began, and Squall stopped moving. She turned to Kiros. When she spoke it scared Squall: there was so much fear behind her voice, like she was pleading with Kiros. "You didn't do it, you didn't really poison my uncle, you couldn't have, tell me you didn't do it, please, say no." Squall saw the first sign of tears threatening to gush over her eyelids and Kiros placed an arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

"I didn't mean to do it." He answered with such sincerity that Squall could almost believe that they could win the case by getting him to say that in front of a judge. Something suddenly jumped into Squall's mind… _'He didn't mean to do it?'_ He thought.

"What d'you mean, you didn't mean to do it?" Squall pointed to the tape recorder on the desk. The little wheels where moving, signaling that it was eavesdropping on their entire conversation. Kiros sighed.

"Just listen, no interrupting, ok?" A nod from both. "Yes, I was the one who brought the poison into the palace. I bought it, intending for it to be used, but not against Laguna. Someone requested the poison, you see, but I'm not giving names. I'll take the fall for that." He stopped momentarily. "I did something very stupid, I admit it. I did give the poison to the person that requested it, without thinking of the consequences. When I realized what I had done I tried to prevent what was going to happen, but… as you can see I did a wonderful job of that." The last phrase was heavy with sarcasm. "When Laguna showed up to my room I couldn't face him, wondering if he had been poisoned yet. I saw that he was in pain already, that was evident, and I was scared. I slammed the door, pretending to be mad, and called for a doctor on the pretense that Laguna looked ill. When I hung up I heard a thud against the door and that's where I found Laguna." He stopped there, and nothing more was said.

"So the poison was planted in your room?" Ellone asked quietly, wanting to counter the evidence that was obviously going to be used against them.

"Another unfortunate stupid decision on my part. I took back the poison, but that was before Laguna showed up. I noticed that some of it was gone and set off to try and prevent it from getting to Laguna, but one can only check so many things, right?" Squall nodded. That was an unfortunately incriminating decision all right.

"Bad luck, man." Said Squall as he watched the tape recorder spin. Kiros chuckled and leaned on his elbows, shaking his head lightly. Squall turned off the recorder, that was all they needed for the moment.

"What?" Asked Squall, noticing that Ellone was giggling too, was it something he said?

"Sorry, it's just for a moment there you reminded me of Laguna." Squall couldn't help but snort.

"Yeah, like father like son I guess…" The way Squall said it was awkward, like he was actually still testing the words in his own mouth.

"Ah, I see he's told you then."

"Yeah." Squall nodded, casting Ellone a glance. "That makes you my sister, right?"

"Of course, but I guarantee I would never have been able to call Laguna dad. So he was always "uncle" Laguna to me."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to call him dad… I never really liked him up to this point… he's too… how can I put this?"

"Goofy?" Asked Kiros, grinning. Squall smiled. He liked this guy. Squall was about to reply, but a guard showed up at their door.

"Time's up, guys." He unlocked the door to let them out. Ellone gave Kiros a hug before leaving. Squall turned to him, wanting to say something.

"We won't let you die." He said, unsure if he was actually going to be able to follow through on that promise. Kiros nodded slowly.

"Take care of Laguna." A thought crossed his mind. He could try and play 'matchmaker' with Squall and Laguna, probably help their relationship along somewhat. "Wait a sec." Squall stopped. "C'mere." He motioned Squall over, who complied. "Give this to Laguna for me. You promise?" He poked Squall, looking down at him. Squall nodded. Kiros awkwardly hugged Squall, feeling the boy tense before gingerly wrapping his arms around him too. They let go, nodded to each other and Squall left.

Kiros sighed and fell back on the cot. This was going to be the longest three days of his life…

…and quite possibly the last.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Squall decided to go visit Ward. Their meeting had been short, the only thing needed to be said was that Ward had found a lawyer, the best in Esthar, and that the police where already leading the investigation. Squall found the silence almost comforting, even if he had to endure his own voice. He thanked Ward and left, taking an early report from the police with him: Ward wanted him to read it.

As he walked down the hall he thought of Ellone who was working equally hard in the case. She took the Ragnarok, along with some of the presidential guard, and headed for Centra to get Edea and Cid. They would then head for Balamb Garden which was somewhere in Trabia and pick up a few people, especially Selphie seeing she had passed time inside Kiros' head. Squall would have to do something extremely special for her when this was over.

* * *

When Squall approached the hospital room he stopped upon hearing voice. One was Laguna's and the other was one he didn't recognize.

"That can't be… there has to be a mistake!" Fear suddenly filled Squall, there was something wrong. What had they discovered about Kiros now?

"I apologize Mr. President, but-" The man was abruptly cut off when he yelped and there was a loud thud, like something being forced against a wall.

"You liar!" It was Laguna. Squall had enough and entered the room in fear that Laguna would do something stupid.

"Put him down." Squall ordered, watching Laguna's expression which startled him greatly. He had never seen Laguna angry, and now seeing him with an expression that portrayed death perfectly earned Laguna a little more of Squall's respect.

Laguna let him go gently, the man's feet making a slight thud on the floor.

"That can't be right… I saw her this morning…" Laguna looked on the brink of tears, his stubborn disbelief his mind's way of dealing with something he definitely could not.

"I'm sorry. I know how much she meant to you." The police officer looked like he wanted to run away he was so scared. He couldn't have been very old, probably fresh out of the academy.

Something clicked in Squall's mind. _She… Ellone… the Ragnarok… something had happened…!_

"What happened?" Asked Squall, his voice coming out a little more panicked than he would have liked. Laguna turned to him quietly, the tears threatening to come forth.

"Elle… she's… she's dead, Squall. The Ragnarok crashed… no one…" He couldn't take it anymore and buried his head in his hands in an attempt to stop the tears.

_NO!_ Thought Squall. He wanted to yell it out, he wanted to tell Laguna he was wrong, that Ellone couldn't be dead, but that's not what came out.

"Are you sure?" The police officer nodded. "Dismissed." The young officer blinked and bowed to Squall before heading through the door shyly. Squall didn't even realizing he was holding his breath. He exhaled deeply, trying to suppress the emotions starting to build up in his chest. Laguna had his head hung, hair hiding his face. Squall noticed he was trembling, his hands shaking with the raw emotion he didn't want to express.

In a single move Squall pulled the blinds shut, cutting them off from the rest of the world. He leaned against the wall, leaning his head against it, hoping he could suppress the emotions which where threatening to boil over.

"I can't believe she's gone." Whispered Squall, for once hating the silence. Something needed to be said, anything, anything that would make this more bearable.

"She didn't deserve it… Hyne it should have been me! It's all my fault, I told her to go…" Laguna shook his head and made a sound like he was trying to swallow a sob.

"It's not your fault, nobody could have known there was something wrong with the Ragnarok. I was flying around in it for the longest time and nothing happened. I just can't believe this would happen now..." Squall shook his head. For someone who had lost one of the most important people in his world, he was taking it quite well. He was acting like a man who had just lost his wife, children, home, family and courage all in one single fateful blow.

"It is… I told her to go, Squall. I shouldn't have… it's my fault Elle's dead! I failed her… I failed Raine… I failed my best friends… I failed everyone!" He let himself fall to his knees, his face hidden in his hands and the unkempt hair flanking his face. Squall couldn't stand anyone showing that kind of weakness and had the urge to yell at him. But before he knew what he was doing Squall had his arms wrapped around Laguna's shoulders. He was surprised he hadn't noticed what he had done and was even more surprised to realize that he could feel the grief running through Laguna: he could feel Laguna trembling, feel him lurching, feel and hear him crying. Laguna shifted and wrapped his arms around Squall, pulling him closer. They rested against each other, both men dealing with their grief in their own way.

Squall didn't even realize he was crying until he felt his eyes sting, the tears starting to make their way down his cheeks. It was stupid that he was hugging Laguna, someone who, a day earlier, he couldn't have cared less about. A few weeks ago he would have told himself he didn't need anyone, that he was fine on his own. If someone had told him them that on that day he would be crumpled on the floor of Esthar's hospital, hugging Laguna and crying in grief with him he would have called them insane.

"She's gone…" Squall sobbed, unable to bear the silence any longer. For once Laguna was at a loss for words, unable to express the unbearable weight crushing his soul. He needed his friends, but one was working his job and the other was in prison. Still, hugging Squall was comforting, like doing so would remedy the fact that he failed Raine, meaning he did not fail his son.

"I'm sorry." Whispered Laguna, his face almost buried in Squall's neck. "For everything I didn't do… I tried to find you… I just know I didn't try hard enough." Laguna's apology was to ease his own conscience as much as Squall's.

"You can't change the past, Laguna, don't apologize for it. Let's just go on from here." Squall whispered as well, wanting to stop himself from crying more than ease Laguna's guilt. They let go of each other, their puffy, blood shot eyes meeting. Squall looked away, still unwilling to show his weakness in front of anyone, but in his mind failing miserably. Squall continued.

"I hate being weak." He wiped his tears away with the back of his gloved hand, drying his cheeks.

"Crying is not showing weakness, Squall. Being able to cry shows that you can show emotion, being weak means you're not strong enough to let your emotions take over and still be able to control yourself." Laguna's logic was strange, but comforting. Squall's mind immediately turned back to the task at hand.

"So, how are we going to get Edea, Cid and the others here?" Asked Squall emotionlessly, sitting down on the foot of the bed. Laguna stood, breathless, and sat next to him, leaning on his elbows.

"How can you just say that when Elle is dead?" Asked Laguna. Squall blinked, reevaluating Laguna's grasp of common sense. But the man was grieving, he had to give him credit for that.

"Listen, do you want to lose Kiros too?" Laguna shook his head, his hair swishing around his face.

"The officer told me that Balamb Garden is going to pick up Cid and Edea and fly to the desert. We'll send airships to pick them up there." Squall nodded. Who could say Esthar wasn't efficient?

"I still can't believe she's gone." Breathed Squall, sighing deeply. His mind still didn't grasp that fact, and he knew it was only a matter of time before it hit him like a tone of bricks.

"It hurts so much. I promised Raine I would never let anything happen to Elle… I also promised her I would come back, and look how that ended up. I failed Raine so badly… I guess I wasn't good enough for her…" Now that was pushing it too far, even Squall could see that. He knew his mother (gods, she _was_ his mother) wouldn't have hated Laguna for not coming back, something in her attitude had said that.

"What was sh… mom like?" Squall asked, truly wanting to know what kind of mother he could have had. Laguna smiled, the tears still running down his cheeks. In that moment Squall couldn't help but mentally laugh at the both of them, sitting there, crying like two women, talking about anything that popped into their minds. Was this what having a family was like? Knowing the other would love you unconditionally, no matter what you did?

**

* * *

****Act 2**

The news of the accident spread quickly. It was ironic how, even in death, Squall learned something new about his Sis. The reporter used her last name during the report, but Squall paid no mind to what it really was. What caught his attention was the use of _Loire_, they called her Ellone Something _Loire_. Squall was annoyed that he was beginning to become attached to that name, and found himself wondering why his last name was Leonhart and not Loire if Raine had really married Laguna like Ellone had explained. Where had Leonhart come from anyway? Has it been Raine's last name? Not that he wanted to change his name anyway… he liked Leonhart.

Too bad they where both only memories now. Neither of them deserved it.

Squall found himself walking to the apartment Laguna had let him use. It was roomy, much too roomy for an apartment, and Laguna explained that the room was Kiros'. The latter wouldn't mind Laguna explained and Squall protested using someone else's personal space, but Laguna waved him off.

Squall sighed as he shut the door behind him, sighing deeply as he spied the police report in his hand. He found the counter in the kitchen that served as a table and promptly slapped the report down, looking for some coffee. He rummaged through the counters until he found the half-empty can. He found the percolator easily enough, but the filters where another problem all together. He sighed in defeat when he couldn't find them.

"Fine, I'll just drink coffee with the chunks then…" He breathed, annoyed, and started rummaging through the fridge, looking for something supper-worthy. There was leftover chicken in the back and he sniffed it, making sure it wasn't spoiled. He decided on eating it and sat at the counter, skimming the first page of the report. It wasn't long, only five pages.

The most important things where:  
1) The President was poisoned;

2) Said poison was found in Kiros' room;

3) The latter was avoiding Laguna;

4) The same person had, also, double checked everything the President had eaten and drank in the past three days;

5) Eye witnesses said that Kiros had been inquiring about the President's health frequently;

6) Kiros' fingerprints where on the bottle, but not on the cap and;

7) Other fingerprints had been found on the bottle, they didn't belong to Kiros.

Squall smiled, the last four would be good for their defense, the last two points would be crucial in their defense. So how had they lost the trial? What could have happened to stop them from proving Kiros innocent?

Squall eye's widened.

Ellone. She had been in the future too, she was there waiting with the others for Laguna to return… could fate really be changed?

Squall didn't have time to mull the question in his head as there was a knock at the door. He chewed a piece of chicken angrily as he opened the door, coming face to face with Edea and Ward.

"Hello Squall." She greeted, bowing slightly. Squall nodded, not wanting to seem rude by talking with his mouth full. He ushered them in and returned to the counter, decidedly throwing the cold chicken in the microwave sloppily. It was easier to eat warm…

"Squall, I'm sorry about Ellone. I know how much she meant to you…" Edea placed a hand on Squall's shoulder. He relaxed and looked at the percolator angrily, wishing he could get some coffee…

"Please, save the sympathy for later. Right now I just want to get this trial over with, then I can grieve. Besides, I think Laguna needs more support than I do. He tried to kill a police officer today." Squall looked at Ward who shook his head. He pointed to the percolator.

"Can't find the filters." Squall answered, hopefully he had interpreted right. Edea sat on the stool next to the counter and watched Squall test the chicken he had heated. He placed it back in the microwave.

"How are things going?" Edea asked, watching Squall who was watching Ward. The latter found the filters and tossed then to Squall who glared at them angrily. Everything was getting on his nerves at the moment: the filters, the report, the trial, Ellone's death, Ward's silence, Edea's caring demeanor. He sighed frustrated.

"Frustratingly." Squall answered, tossing a filter into the percolator. "Want coffee?" He asked. Both nodded. Squall huffed angrily, he did _not_ want to look for mugs. Ward scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Squall.

_Relax, I'll get the coffee._

Squall thanked him and leaned against the counter, chewing the warm chicken thoughtfully. What he needed now was sleep, not coffee. He looked at the clock. It read 5:58. Too early to sleep. Edea played with a lock of hair quietly, watching Squall from the corner of her eye.

"You have a lot on your mind Squall, I can tell. You can tell us what's wrong, I won't say anything and Ward, well, I don't mean any offense…" Ward shook his head. Squall kicked the counter with his heel, his head hung slightly.

"It's just that everything is getting to me." He explained very matter-of-factly, facing them like he usually did for something he wasn't used to doing. "I mean… It all started when I came here, then I started working on this trial because I made a promise to Laguna, next thing I know Ellone… she…" Squall shook his head, unable to speak what he feared the most. "And all I want to do is get away from all of this, but I have to survive the next two days whether I like it or not. Now all the little things are getting to me too… even if it's just not being able to find the filters or the mugs… not to mention I hate invading people's personal space… I just want everything to stop." Squall finished on that note, glad that he had vented his frustration to someone. Some of the weight was released from his shoulders as he continued to chew on the chicken he didn't really want to eat.

"It is frustrating, isn't it? It's ok to feel like this, just remember there will always be people here to support you." Edea smiled sweetly at Squall and he gave her a half-smile back. He wasn't used to expressing joy. Ward handed them the coffee.

"Is there any sugar?" He asked and Edea nodded. Neither took coffee without sugar, which was probably the only visible similarity between them. Ward found the sugar quickly and handed it to them. Squall dumped three spoonfuls into his coffee before tasting it.

"Squall you shouldn't use so much sugar, it isn't good for you." Edea pointed out, watching Squall take a long drink. It was stronger than her: she had to be naggingly motherly to all the children who had once found their way into her orphanage.

"I only use this much because I don't like the taste of coffee. I rarely ever use sugar with anything else." He finished that argument there, at the moment he didn't feel like listening to a lecture about his eating habits.

A silence fell over the room, making everyone save Squall feel uncomfortable. Edea felt like she would explode if she kept silent and had an overwhelming urge to make Squall spill his guts because it felt like there was something bothering him. She knew just be looking at him that the Squall in front of her was overwhelmed and, most likely, emotionally and psychologically tired. He looked stressed and tired, the dark circles under his eyes a perfect indication of his lack of rest. The nurturing nature that was Edea's couldn't stand to see him that way and had to say something, anything to get him to talk.

"Squall, is there something bothering you?" Edea asked, watching the boy drink from the mug thoughtfully.

"Why do you ask?" Replied Squall, turning his eyes on her. Under the stormy blue cover she could see confusion and that dullness that accompanied some emotion she could not place, for there was no word in the English language that could describe the mixture of fatigue, frustration and sadness the round orbs portrayed.

"I ask because I remember what you where like when you where small. I can see how hurt you are… just like when Ellone went away." Edea said it so comfortingly that Squall couldn't help but want to spill his soul to her, his replacement "mother". Squall placed the mug on the counter and thought for a moment.

"Everything is bothering me, Matron. I never got a chance to rest after the sorceress war ended, and now I'm put into another situation I never wanted to be in. At least I got to see Sis one last time." Squall shook his head, fingering the mug lightly. "Even though I wish she were still here… why did it have to be Elle? Why couldn't it have been someone else?" Squall angrily kicked the kickboard of the counter.

"I know it hurts Squall, just… I honestly don't know what to tell you. The pain never really goes away, how to cope is just something you learn over time." Edea sipped her coffee, watching a spot on the counter. Ward signed something and Edea nodded. "See, Ward agrees with me." Squall finished the cup of coffee, grabbing himself another. He watched both of them for a moment and gazed out the window.

"How's the investigation coming along?" Asked Squall, fully wanting to change the subject: he had enough of talking about Ellone. There would be time for that later, when all of them could just sit around and talk with less care than they currently had, and hopefully, for Laguna's sake, Kiros would be there too.

Ward signed something, and Edea nodded.

"He says they know where Kiros bought the poison, and they found out who requested the poison." Ward nodded. Squall mulled the info over in his head, shouldn't the guy who requested the poison be same one who attempted to kill Laguna? But besides that, Edea knew sign language?

"Matron, I didn't know you knew sign language." Edea gave a true, heart-warming smile. It was so nice to hear so much of the little Squall she remembered: the curious little boy who wanted to know everything, was always asking his Sis a thousand questions… and always looking for her with tears in his eyes. His lost little boy persona saddened her greatly, even worse now that she knew he still had a father. When she learned that she cursed the man, but upon meeting him realized how nice he was, how much of a father he could have been.

"Matron?" She lifted her head, knocking herself out of her daydream.

"My apologies Squall, I was remembering something. And yes, I do know sign language. You see, you meet a lot of different types of people when you run an orphanage and you have to be prepared for anything, so I had to learn many things. Sign language was one of them." She watched Squall intently, trying to decide whether he was listening to her or not.

"I'll admit it's handy." Edea chuckled, placing a slender hand over her mouth. Squall looked at her oddly. "What?" He suddenly felt awkward, like when you think there's something on your face. Ward was silently laughing as well and Squall couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

"It's just what you said. It's ironic." She composed herself. "Sign language… '_hand'_y?" Squall shook his head and smiled slightly, his version of laughter. He composed himself quickly and cleared his throat. He glanced at the clock. 6:43.

"I'm going to see Laguna. You guys want to come with me?" He asked, inhaling the rest of the coffee. Ward nodded. Edea took her coat from the counter. Squall rummaged through his pocket, looking for the car keys. Laguna had been gracious enough to loan him a car... _Kiros_' car. What was with his father and loaning him Kiros' stuff?

Squall stopped, he had just mentally referred to Laguna as his father. Whether he like it or not, this guy was beginning to grow on him…

Ward made a grab for the keys. It startled him slightly, but Squall refused to let go, mentally asking himself why Ward would do something like that.

"Ward says he wants to drive." Edea interpreted quietly, watching the two men stare each other down.

"Why?" Asked Squall, trying to tug the keys from Ward's fingers. He was perfectly capable of driving, having drove to and from the hospital a few times already and once in the dark without headlights. Replacement of the defective lights had come out of Kiros' account, although the twenty-three hundred gil replacement for the components had barely made a dent in the unbelievably large sum he had saved away. Squall had almost chocked when he withdrew the amount and saw what was left in the bank. Back to the point: he had no doubts about his driving aptitude, so why would someone else?

Ward signed something and Edea nodded.

"I agree with what he's saying Squall. You're tired, and driving in your condition wouldn't be a good idea. Let him drive Squall, please."

"I can drive perfectly well, tired or not. Besides, I need to learn how to get around the city and I've gone to the hospital before, trust me." Squall waited, stubbornly unwilling to let Ward drive. It wasn't that he didn't trust the man, no, he would sooner trust him driving than Laguna, but Squall had the urge to drive and besides, he liked Kiros' car: it was easy to drive. Ok, so he _did_ have problems at first, who wouldn't when they didn't exactly know how to drive a standard? He had managed…

"Squall, please." Edea asked, her hand on Squall's shoulder. She watched their hands, both having a firm grip on the key ring.

"How about this? I drive there, you drive back." The suggestion wasn't all that bad, but Squall was still slightly surprised when Ward let go of the keys. He hadn't exactly expected the man to agree with him. "Let's go then." He breathed and led the way out the door.

**

* * *

**

For seven pm the roads where pretty empty.

It wasn't that far from the Presidential Palace to Esthar's "Abadon Hospital". If nothing got in his way Squall could make in there in just under fifteen minutes. But on that night the roads where nearly bare and the night was beautiful and clear, stars shining overhead and the quarter moon standing out proudly against the velvet black backdrop that was the sky. Clouds where looming over the horizon, but the precipitation wouldn't arriver until later the next day. Below the car the city lights shone brightly, casting their brilliance into the transparent blue of the highway and illuminating the way so well that one wouldn't even need headlights to find their way.

Edea leaned forward and gazed out over the city, taking in the beauty of the innumerable lights. She didn't particularly like cities because everything was too impersonal and dangerous and she much preferred the quiet country life. That didn't mean she didn't find the city nice though.

"The city sure is beautiful." She commented, blinking as a rare car whizzed by them.

"Yeah, I guess it's because it's so big." Squall commented, changing lanes to avoid the broken down car, it's signal lights showing danger. Squall slowed for the upcoming intersection that turned off from the highway. Another car was coming far ahead of him, but Squall knew he would easily make it before the car even neared them. Ward tapped Squall's shoulder and pointed ahead.

"I see the car." Squall commented with a slight annoyance in his voice. He knew how to drive…

Ward again tapped Squall's shoulder, pointing angrily to the upcoming car and motioned for him to slow down. The other car obviously had the right of way, but Squall knew he could get through the intersection long before it came, the car still being about thirty seconds away from them.

Unfortunately, what Ward was trying to tell Squall (he angrily cursed his inability to speak: how do you go about telling someone something urgent that needed to be said right away?) was that the light ahead was not a car, it was a bullet train. Squall obviously didn't see the tracks next to them, and if he made to turn left he would cross the tracks. The train would be upon then in only a few seconds… and then…

Had Squall not been so tired, he may have noticed that the object coming towards them had one light and not two, and the light was much too high to be a car. That was one reason why Ward had wanted to drive, having more experience than Squall at driving though Esthar city.

Ward grabbed Squall's shoulder, his fingers digging sharply into the bone. Squall winced, but he had already turned and was over the tracks. Edea turned as she saw the bright light fill the car, and next thing she knew the bright light crashed into the back end of the car, just behind her.

The car was thrown violently, like a fox-terrier would throw a rat. Squall's head crashed into the steering wheel, Edea braced herself against the dashboard and something collided with the back of Squall's seat. The car spun once, hit the rail and rolled four times before coming to rest upside down on the rail of the highway. The back end was crumpled and hanging precariously over the rail, the drop below it many hundreds of feet…

**

* * *

**

Laguna blew a strand of hair out of his face lazily. On one hand rested his head, and in the other rested a rubix cube. Ward had given it to him years ago, joking about how Laguna would not be able to figure it out. He tried for a few days, gave up, and angrily told Kiros to shove it when he laughed at him. Of course, Laguna dared Kiros to try, which he did, and Laguna was more than a little vexed when Kiros showed him the rubix cube after a few hours, and that all the sides where complete.

Why had he asked the attendant to get it? Maybe because he was bored, and his mind needed nourishment to keep it sharp. So why had he though about the cube and nothing else? Sure, a gameboy would have been more exciting, but this little object was sentimental: it was a present from a friend. He told himself he would figure it out before he died, and he was going to make good on that promise.

A nock at the door caught his attention.

Squall? Ward?

It was neither. Reeves the psychologist came in looking flustered, a look that didn't suit him at all.

"Have you seen the news?" He asked, watching Laguna intently, his eyes momentarily resting on the cube in his hand. Laguna didn't lift his head from his hand, only looked at Reeves from his sitting position. Reeves though Laguna looked messy.

"Nope, why? Did Kiros break out or something?" It was intended to be a joke, but Reeves didn't laugh. In fact, he seemed hurt by the remark.

Laguna watched as Reeves grabbed the remote and turned on the TV in the corner, sorting until he found the news channel dedicated entirely to Esthar.

The image was zoomed in on a single car accident. At first Laguna couldn't tell if the car was on it's back, side or right side up because the image was fuzzy.

"Oh man, another crash. Guess I should get something done about those train tracks. I'll do that when I can work again…" Reeves shook his head sadly.

"Laguna," Reeves never called him by his name… "look at the car."

The image came into focus.

"It's black, so what?" Laguna answered and again Reeves shook his head.

"No… the driver…"

Laguna didn't immediately realize what Reeves was saying, but when it did click his breath stopped.

Laguna felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

It was Kiros' car. The car he had loaned to Squall. Squall. Driving. It was Squall driving.

Back in the prison, Kiros was watching the same news channel. Unlike Laguna, he recognized the car immediately.

"Now, who did you loan my car to this time?" Kiros asked himself, sighing in contempt. Another car bites the dust. "I liked that car too." He responded to himself, his only companion. He stood and turned up the volume, catching the final bits of the report.

"…_around 7:03 pm, no one died, but the president's son, who was driving, and the two passengers Edea Kramer and Ward Zaback where seriously injured. Eyes witnesses say the culprit was a bullet train which clipped the back of the car. The intersection has been subject to criticism before…"_

Kiros sat down on the cot, bracing himself in case he would faint.

Squall. His best friend's son. Ward. His coworker and other best friend. Edea. Kiros had met her, she was really nice. His immediate concern was if Laguna knew. Going to see him was out of the question, so instead Kiros rested his head in his hands.

"Ward… Squall…" He wondered how serious it was, and wished he was at the hospital with them instead of in a prison cell awaiting his trial. What was to become of him if they weren't there to represent him? What was to become of Esthar if Ward was unable to carry out Laguna's duties?

How was _Laguna_ taking this?

Well, if he wanted to know, he would just have to talk to the guy himself. Kiros stood up and called a guard over. He took a deep breath and though of what to say.

"I have a request…"

**

* * *

**

The rest of the hospital looked just the same as Laguna's room. The latter would have commented on that had he not been in a state of complete and total grief. His best friend was in jail, his other best friend was in the hospital in a coma, his adoptive daughter was dead and his only son was unconscious. The city he was supposed to be leading was in complete chaos, and now he had none of his confidantes to see to it's rule. The vise-president was in charge now, but Laguna wondered about the man's efficiency.

Laguna's heart was beating fast as Snow led him to the intensive care unit where Squall and Ward where being cared for. Edea had just woken up, and the poor woman was already being interrogated by the police.

"Leave her alone! Can't you see she's been traumatized!" It was the angry voice of Cid that greeted Laguna. He was standing in front of his wife and trying to fend of the police as well as the reporters. How they had managed to enter this part of the hospital was beyond Laguna. All he knew was that it had to stop. Laguna cleared his throat. The reporters took notice. Laguna spoke very clearly.

"Get out. Get out before I call security and remove any rights the press has." The reporters tried asking him questions, but Laguna stood stoic like Squall and refused to part his lips.

After the reporters had left he went and stood between Squall and Ward's beds. He didn't know who to talk too. Not that they would respond, but…

His best friend, or his son?

Ward could forgive him.

Laguna kneeled next to Squall's bed like he was going to pray and gently took Squall's hand in his own, being very careful as if the sudden application of too much pressure would break the battle-hardened appendage.

"Squall, wake up, please?" He cooed gently, stroking Squall's hair. He rested his head against the pillow next to Squall's and sighed sadly. "I need you Squall, I can't bear to lose you too."

From a few feet away Cid watched, feeling horrible for Laguna. The man lost almost everything, and could lose a lot more if Squall didn't wake up. Cid also felt guilty about Squall, the boy he had watched grow up and evolve right before his eyes. He was never a bad boy, just lonely.

Edea stood and made her way over to Squall's bed. She sat on the chair next to it, keeping vigil over the body of the boy she had nurtured. Laguna looked up, his sea green eyes meeting her yellow ones. Where once she saw optimism and cheerfulness she now saw a depressive sadness and defeat. His eyes where equally dull and watery, the evidence that he had been through so much.

"It must be hard." Edea told him, her eyes resting on Squall. Laguna simply nodded, unable to muster the courage to talk. It was no use now, he didn't have the motivation anymore. Besides, if he did he would start to cry, and that was something the press could never see and he would never give them the chance, albeit how hard it was.

There was a knock at the door and the chief of the military guard came in. Laguna glanced at him and rested his head back on the pillow, closing his eyes and shutting himself off from the rest of the world.

When Kiros stepped through the door the first thing he saw was Cid standing there, watching him. Then his eyes trailed left and fell on Ward who wasn't that easy to miss. Sudden fear shot through him, but it dissipated quickly. If he was here it meant he was alive. Then he saw Edea, Squall and finally Laguna, the one he had come here to see. Edea was sitting on a chair watching the unconscious Squall. Squall was laying on his back stalk still, no outward evidence to show he was still alive. Laguna was in, what looked to be, a very uncomfortable sitting position: kneeled next to the bed and head resting on the pillow next to Squall's, eyes closed. The guards let Kiros out of his handcuffs and he went over to the beds, stopping momentarily to place a hand on Ward's shoulder in support, hoping the man would make up. When he didn't Kiros made his way over to Laguna and watched him for a moment.

He looked horrible. What a experience he must be living through. He hadn't looked that bad since he found out Raine died.

Kiros sat on his heels and gently let his hand rest on Laguna's shoulder. The latter woke up at the sudden stimulus and stared at Kiros like he was a ghost.

"Kiros?" He asked, his voice cracked and tired.

"They let me out for a while, I'm still your attendant after all." Kiros moved slightly to let Laguna sit up. The latter looked at Kiros strangely for a few seconds, having not seen him since he collapsed after being poisoned. The only thing Laguna could think to say had something to do with the trial, but saying it now would only disrespect Squall. Laguna suddenly felt happy and sad, excited and depressed, lonely and anti-social.

He wanted everything to go back to normal.

He needed someone to comfort him.

He should be working on the trial.

Squall should be awake and telling him how much of a moron he was.

Ward should be awake and silently laughing at him.

"Kiros… I can't…" He shook his head, trying to stop himself from crying, but instead threw himself onto Kiros and cried, feeling the comfort of his friend's arms wrap tightly around him, trying to give him all the comfort he needed. "I can't take it any more!" He cried, his sobs shaking both their bodies. Kiros just closed his eyes and listened to Laguna, trying hard not to let on how torn he was, trying not to let himself cry as well. Men didn't cry.

"Things'll look up, I promise. You don't have to act like it's the end of the world." Kiros let Laguna's head rest against his neck. He pulled Laguna tighter, and in return Laguna did the same, like holding onto Kiros was the last thing he could do. Laguna let out a long, anguished wail which Kiros desperately tried to shut his ears to. It hurt too much to listen to something that full of sorrow and defeat.

The door hissed open.

Kiros looked up to see a small group of people crowd in. He recognized them on the spot: they where Squall's posse. Zell Dincht, SeeD, Quistis Trepe, SeeD, Selphie Tilmitt, SeeD, Irvine Kinneas, sharpshooter, Rinoa Heartily, Julia's daughter, Seifer Almasy, Squall's rival. Three others accompanied them, but Kiros couldn't place them.

Kiros leaned his head down and whispered into Laguna's ear.

"We have company." He told him, relaxing his grip on his friend's body. Laguna whimpered and tightened his grip on Kiros, never unburying his head from Kiros' neck. "Fine." Kiros hissed and returned his arms around Laguna, knowing how silly they must look. He heard a muffled whisper from the door and saw more than a few looking at Squall in complete shock. Had they never seen a car crash victim before?

"He's alive if you're wondering." Cid told them, walking over to Squall. Kiros only now took a good look at Squall, noticing the black and green bruises forming on the side of his swollen eye. Quistis shyly made her way to the bed and stood next to Edea, quietly keeping vigil over her leader.

"Let me go?" Kiros whispered to Laguna, quietly trying to coax him into letting go. "I need to check on Ward." He continued, hoping Laguna's common sense would kick in. From an omniscient writer's point of view they looked like their bodies belonged together, looked like their two separate beings somehow made one, made them complete.

Laguna sadly let go of Kiros, his only means of comfort. He then leaned back over the bed and watched Squall, stroking strands of hair out of his eyes.

Kiros stood and walked over to Ward's bed, taking a seat on the bit that Ward's mass didn't take up. He prodded Ward's ribs gently, hoping he could somehow force the man to wake up.

Conveniently enough, the doctor who was overseeing their care happened to come in at that moment. Kiros watched warily, remembering that doctors where usually the bearers of bad news. Still, he couldn't jump to conclusions just yet. He waited until the doctor took notice of his piercing stare before asking what was secretly eating away at his conscience.

"Comatose or unconscious?" The doctor glanced at his clipboard and then at the number written on the foot of the bed. He cleared his throat.

"Comatose." Kiros blinked and returned his eyes to Ward. Laguna's voice rose up from next to Squall's body.

"What about him?" He eyed the doctor hopefully, his green eyes shining with tears and puffy from crying. Again the doctor sighed.

"Unconscious." Laguna's relief was evident. "But…" All eyes turned to him: a but was not a good thing. "He's taken a hard knock to the head, as you can see by the bruise. The bone surrounding his eye is broken, he may not be able to see out of it again. And there's some swelling in his brain… it could leave permanent damage."

Kiros swore that at that moment he saw the bottom drop out of Laguna's stomach.

"But, he'll be ok, right? I mean, you guys are brilliant! Of course there's something you can do!" Laguna jumped to his feet, making gestures that resembled greatly Squall's.

"I can't guarantee anything. They've both taken some serious punishment, but it doesn't look too bad, at least not for him." He gestured at Ward. "He's been responding to treatment. Mr. Leonhart here hasn't been responding as well as we hoped he would. I'm sorry Mr. President, but there's not much else we can do unless his brain decides to cooperate."

Laguna watched the doctor coldly for a few seconds before giving a war cry and smashing into the man.

**

* * *

**

It had taken Kiros, and the help of Seifer and Zell, a few minutes to remove the distraught Laguna from the doctor. Kiros never knew Laguna's body could hold that kind of strength.

The doctor had a black eye and looked like he had gone through a paper shredder. Laguna didn't look any better, the doctor having fought back. Kiros was about to chastise Laguna, but Zell bet him to it.

"Are you crazy! It wasn't his fault!" Kiros applauded the young man in his head, taking a mental note that this kid had sense.

Laguna didn't respond, just looked back at Squall.

"There isn't anything…?" Asked Laguna, his eyes starting to water.

"Not unless the swelling goes down. We've already injected him with a anti-inflammatory liquid, but the swelling hasn't regressed as much as we would have liked, only about a third of the swelling is gone." The doctor studied his clipboard. "The good news is that we're going to have to give him another shot soon which just might cause it to go back to normal."

"But, why is it so dangerous? I mean if your skin swells it's not that bad, so why would it be dangerous if your brain swells?" The doctor sighed.

"Mr. Loire, you _know_ it's not the same thing. In essence, maybe, but we're talking about the brain, which controls every single body function. Besides, the brain is not supposed to move, which means it's a tight fit inside the skull. If the brain swells it's pressed against the protective layering inside the skull and has to compress and thus makes certain actions difficult. And if the swelling is caused by blood it means the brain could be bleeding and in consequence leave scaring which could cause severe permanent damage." Laguna blinked, still staring at the motionless form of Squall. Standing there, he looked like a lost puppy. Kiros placed his hand on Laguna's shoulder in support. Without even realizing it, Laguna let his hand rest on Kiros'. The thoughts that where going through his mind where too horrid to speak. He wanted all of this to stop. Who or what would have such a vendetta against him to cause him this much pain? Wasn't Elle's death enough? Wasn't Kiros' imprisonment going too far? And now his son, as well as his friend, where in the hospital.

"Why do you care so much about him?" Asked Seifer, watching Laguna warily. Laguna swallowed the lump in his throat.

"He's my son." He heard a few muffled noises. Selphie seemed to be bouncing from foot to foot.

"He is?" She asked, watching Laguna with what looked like admiration. Laguna nodded, letting himself slide against the wall and sat with his knees pulled to his chest.

This was just too much.

Life was just too much.

Of course, Kiros was next to him, comforting him in any way he could. Laguna rested against him, eyes switching from Squall to Ward. Edea was still sitting next to the bed, feeling guilty that she was the only one who woke up. Laguna watched her momentarily, deciding that being depressed would really do him nothing.

"Why was he driving? Why didn't Ward drive? He wouldn't have crossed the tracks…" Edea waited a few moments before recalling in detail the incident at the apartment, how Squall had stubbornly refused to let Ward drive, how Ward had wanted to drive, and how Edea had backed him up. She also mentioned that they compromised, but it never occurred to them to let Ward drive first…

"If only Squall would have let Ward drive…" Laguna said, holding his head in his hands. Kiros just sat there, unable to think of anything to say. For once, he wanted to tell Laguna something that would make him feel better, but his mind drew a complete blank. The only words that he could think of didn't represent his sorrow enough, could never even come close to showing how much he felt for Laguna.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to Laguna, giving his arm a tight squeeze. Laguna nodded slightly and sighed heavily, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Rinoa made her way to Squall's bed and kneeled on the floor next to it. Everyone seemed very somber, like the world had come to an end. Irvine spoke up.

"C'mon guys, cheer up! This is Squall we're talking about! He's the one who said he didn't want to become anyone's memory!"

Laguna smiled, anything positive was greatly appreciated right now. Irvine was right too, Squall was a fighter, he wouldn't go down _without_ a fight.

A nurse came in to give Squall another shot that would hopefully reduce the swelling in his brain. Laguna watched her with a slight admiration: how could the woman help so many victims, most in worse condition than Squall, and not flinch? Could you actually get used to it? She ritually stuck him with the needle, and then proceeded to do the same to Ward. She then left.

The door again hissed open, but this time it was the captain of the guard. Kiros dreaded having to leave Laguna now, but there was no way he could protest, short of murder, that wouldn't land in jail for life or with an immediate execution.

The captain, who's name was Rolf, opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly closed it after catching the many looks he was given. Kiros held Laguna tightly for a moment, hoping Laguna would forgive him for leaving.

"I have to leave." He whispered gently, pressing his head against Laguna's. Laguna returned the squeeze and watched Kiros get up, feeling suddenly cold from the lack of contact.

It was times like these he missed Raine.

Kiros left with the captain quietly, not wanting to give himself any more trouble. They walked down the hall in silence, Kiros contemplating whether he would ever see Laguna again or not.

Contrary to popular beliefs, the Captain of the guard was not mean at all. Sure, he knew how to step on people in order to achieve his position, but he was really a kind soul and had a powerful sense of right and wrong.

Right now Rolf could feel the aura of someone who was desperate and torn. Those where not feelings he liked.

"Can I ask you something?" Rolf asked Kiros, walking along next to him.

"Sure." Responded Kiros, kind of surprised at the kindness in the man's voice.

"You really care about Laguna, don't you?" Kiros nodded, a sad smile playing across his lips. Was it really that evident? Rolf continued.

"And you're the main suspect in his poisoning?" Rolf raised an eyebrow and Kiros nodded sadly.

"Unfortunately... how they figure it was me is beyond my reasoning. I just think someone is out to get me." Rolf nodded. It wasn't often he had the chance to talk with one of the inmates. In his opinion this one just didn't seem to be able to kill something at all.

"If it helps, I don't believe you did it." They arrived outside and sat in the police convoy. Contrary to procedure, Rolf sat in the back with him. Kiros found it strange that he would be putting his safety in jeopardy like that, but it had to be said that the man was still well-armed.

"It helps me personally, yes, but I doubt it'll help against the trial." Kiros played with the cuffs on his wrists. He could slip out of the easily enough...

_No, don't even think about it._

Kiros knew if he tried to escape or got away he would only make things worse for himself. No, he had to cooperate for his sake as much as his friends'. Besides, Laguna had enough things to worry about as it was: his adoptive daughter dead, his friend in a coma, his son's mind in jeopardy... Brief, he was having a hard enough time.

"You know what?" Asked Rolf, turning to face Kiros.

"What? Inquired Kiros, raising his eyes from the cuffs.

"You're different. Most people I'm nice too end up trying to suck up to me so I'll let them go. I like you." Rolf smiled. Kiros returned the smile gratefully.

You never know how much one of them is worth until you suddenly find yourself unable to show one anymore.

Kiros felt like his mind was in a knot. All his thoughts where jumbled into one, all his fears where gathering together and molding into one big hellish nightmare. He hadn't been able to sleep at all lately and it was showing; he could barely distinguish heads from tails at times, and now he was to the point that he had missed so much sleep that he no longer felt the need to do so even without an amazing amount of coffee coursing through his veins.

Kiros let his head lean back against the seat, letting out a deep sigh. He honestly wanted to sleep just so he could momentarily forget about everything that was happening.

"Do you know anything about the trial?" Asked Kiros, taking this opportunity to his advantage.

"Well, nothing much. But I do know that the prosecution is having a hard time finding anything else against you, besides the fact that you inspect all of President Loire's food. The evidence that you bought the poison is almost falling through because your fingerprints are not on the cap. You see, the cap is a very tight fitting one because of the nature of the poison, so it would take someone _not wearing gloves_ quite a bit of strength to open it. Even reopening it would have been difficult." Rolf didn't move when he spoke, just stared ahead at the road. "Oh, not again. When will they learn?" Kiros shot up and looked though the wire mesh and out the windshield.

Inside the prison the inmates where crowding against the wire fence, trying to break it down. High above them the security guards shot the ones farthest back with tranquillizer darts.

But the situation below, inside the yard, was at the very least chaotic. Somehow, the inmates had managed to get a hold of machine guns and knives and where fending off anything that happened to be in their way. Many bodies where laying deathly still and the ground around them was a gruesome red color.

The police car didn't stop near the yard, but instead made it's way quickly into a bunker located just to the right.

"Seinzer, bring Kiros back to his cell, I'll go and try to sort out the commotion outside." The one named Seinzer nodded and lead Kiros down the opposite hallway. The last Kiros saw of Rolf was his form disappearing through the door at the opposite end of the hall.

**

* * *

The door hissed open and Laguna stepped out, making his way to the rail overlooking the city. The presidential palace's roof gave an amazing view, letting the onlooker see for miles over the city.**

Laguna smiled sadly. He wished Squall would have been there next to him. Actually, he wished anyone would have been there next to him so he wouldn't be so lonely. This severe sense of alienation was so depressing it was tearing him apart. Laguna held the weight of the fates of his friends and family on his shoulders, knowing that most of their situations where his fault.

_Elle's dead. Oh Elle… I'm so sorry I failed you…_

_Squall… why did I have to loan you a car? I was just trying to be helpful… and look what it did…_

_Ward… you knew it was better if you just chauffeured Squall around… I should have listened… now you might never wake up…_

_Squall neither as a matter of fact… he could have severe brain damage anyway…_

Laguna buried his head in his hands.

_Kiros… how is this my fault? I know it is, I should have paid more attention to you… somehow I'm to blame for this… I know I am…_

_Raine… I should have stayed… I should never have asked you to marry me… you would still be here, maybe with someone else but you'd still be alive… I messed up so bad…_

Laguna felt the tears racing down his cheeks again.

Behind him the door hissed open. He could hear people walk towards him, but that didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing.

"Hey. Selphie wanted to come see if you where ok." Laguna turned his head slightly, watching the two teenagers through the corner of his eye. Selphie and… something with an I… Irving?

"Thanks you guys, but I'll be ok. After a while." Laguna leaned on the rail, looking over the side of the building to where the cars passed by like ants on a ruler.

"Are you sure? You don't look ok." It was Selphie that spoke. "Irvine even thought you might be suicidal!" So his name was Irvine. Close enough. Laguna gave a sort of snort.

"I'm not suicidal, believe me. If I threw myself to the streets below Kiros and Ward would never forgive me!" He chuckled slightly. A breeze ruffled his hair. He grabbed a hold of it, pulled it back into a low ponytail and tied it with the band he kept around his wrist, leaving his bangs to play in the wind.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" Selphie asked him, standing next to him and looking nervous. "Because we can stay here if you want to talk." Laguna wiped his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Naw, that's ok. I wouldn't want to depress you." He noticed Irvine was next to Selphie and looking out over the city as well.

"So, is Squall really your kid?" Asked Irvine after a few moments. "Because, it's kind of surprising. You said it out of no where… kinda shocked me." He made a gesture with his hand and fixed the hat on his head.

"Of course he is! I mean, he's me and Raine's son… he looks so much like her. I'm glad he never turned out looking like me! Man, Ward said the same thing…" Laguna leaned oh his hand, coming down to Selphie's height.

"Ohhhhh, Raine's his mom? That's why he looks like her! Well, he looks like you a bit too… I mean your facial structure is the same and everything… and your eyes are shaped the same… That's soooo cool!" Selphie was bouncing from foot to foot. Laguna was glad that someone could be happy, because at the moment he couldn't muster any great sense of happiness or even wellness for that matter. He felt like his insides where melting and his heart was being torn to pieces all at the same time. Depression was horrible: he felt like he would never be happy again.

"Seems like things have been pretty crazy here lately." Commented Irvine, watching some telepods zoom by above the highway. Selphie was also gazing out over the city while bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Crazy? I wouldn't exactly use _that _word to describe it… more like chaotic or apocalyptic. It honestly feels like my world is crumbling down around my ears." He stood fully and squinted, his eyes focusing on the black smoke rising from the prison. "It's not hard to always be cheerful… it's just at some points you feel like the world is coming down around you and you can't exactly find anything to be cheerful about. I'm not always bubbly and confident…" He watched the smoke for a few moments.

"Heeeyyyy… is there a fire?" Selphie was watching the same smoke he was.

"No, probably not. I think the prisoners are trying to break free… again. Didn't work the last three times, not gonna work this time either." Laguna watched Irvine snake his arm around Selphie's shoulder.

"Don't worry, if there is I'll protect you." He pulled her next to him and held her protectively. Laguna gave them a small smile. It was cute how he obviously liked her.

"Do you think Mr. Kiros is trying to get out too?" Asked Selphie as she cuddled up to Irvine.

"Naw, he has too much sense for that." Commented Laguna. He figured he needed to know what was going on so he turned to leave. Besides, there was going to be an official inquiry into the incident and if he wasn't there to meet the chief of defense he was going to have his head bitten off.

"I have to go take care of things." He commented and left, thinking about how he was going to go on facing the rest of the world when his was so shattered and broken.

"Do you want us to join you?" Asked Selphie, catching up to him and linking her arm in his. Laguna blinked at the overly-friendly action in wonder.

"I guess company wouldn't hurt." Laguna responded and Irvine ran to catch up as the three left the rooftop together.

**

* * *

Fortunately, the incident at the prison was resolved quickly enough. Rolf had been shot in the incident, much to Kiros' dismay, but was treated and would quickly recover. Laguna met with the chief of defense only to find out that a few inmates had escaped and where prowling the city. Quistis offered up their group to go search for the inmates to which Laguna thankfully agreed. The trial, it turns out, had to be cancelled because of lack of evidence on the side of the prosecution. Kiros was released on a full pardon, and forgave the government for suspecting him. Ward had woken up, and it seems that Squall was finally responding to treatment. Ellone had been buried (much to Laguna's dismay that Squall couldn't be there) next to her parents in her hometown of Winhill. Life started to retake it's normal, routine pace…****

* * *

_Knock. _**

_Knock. _

_Knock. _

_Knock._

Laguna looked up, his eyes focusing on the colorful sliding door as it hissed open on it's own accord. He could have stopped the door from opening, but he knew immediately it was Kiros: him and Ward where the only ones who knocked four times.

"Hey." Greeted Laguna as he put down his pen and rubbed his eyes.

"How are you?" Kiros asked and wandered over next to him, reading the letter of consent he was writing. It was hastily scribbled and had many traces of correction ink on it so Kiros guessed it must have been a rough draft.

"Better. Ward woke up this morning."

"I know, I stopped in to see him. He tells me he feels horrible about Squall and blames himself for not being as tough on him as he is on you." He frowned at the paper. "Laguna, it's spelled 'consent', not 'cunsent'." Laguna scribbled out the word and corrected it.

"How is Squall anyway? I haven't had the chance to see him…" Laguna turned his attention away from the paper and headed for the coffee maker.

"Still the same." Kiros inwardly smiled, he had a nice surprise waiting for Laguna. "Can I speak my mind to you? I have some things I'd like to tell you, now that everything is said and done."

"Sure, go ahead." Laguna acquiesced and returned to his desk, plopped himself on his chair and put his feet up on the table. Kiros let out a deep sigh.

"Are you sure you're ok? You've been through a lot these past few days and I wonder sometimes about your mental state. I've been thinking about this a while now, and I wonder if it would be better for you if you resigned… or at least took a long vacation. You need a break for this routine Laguna… as much as I do. I'd like to go back and visit my routes if you wouldn't mind. A week or two is all I need. And I would like for you to take some time off as well…"

The thought of a vacation was never one that crossed Laguna's mind. In his numerous years in office he had never once taken a break. But another more pressing question bothered him: who would take his place?

"I know what you're thinking, and I've already arranged for Quistis and her gang to watch the city while we're away. They've already had experience in leading and keeping the peace I believe." Laguna though for a second before replying.

"Yeah, a vacation would be nice." He stood and looked out the window. "Somewhere quiet and out of the way where no one would be able to find me." Unknown to Laguna, the door to his office opened. "It would be better if Squall could come though, I'd like to have a man to man with him… know what he thinks about all of this, y'know? I have a lot to make up for."

"That sounds good." Although, the voice that answered him was not Kiros. Laguna spun on his heels, his eyes momentarily unfocused from the sun. But when they did regain their vigor all speech was lost to him as he felt the emotion well up.

"Squall!" He exclaimed and ran for the door, taking his son into a gentle but firm hug.

From behind the desk, Kiros smiled. Laguna was back.

**

* * *

**

Although the scars left by the events of the past few days would never heal life would still go on. Maybe now Squall could have a loving, meaningful relationship with someone and come the rest of the way out of that protective shell. Maybe Laguna could finally let go of the past and forgive himself for failing Raine, though he could never forgive himself for not being there to raise Squall. Ellone's death would hurt, but that was a trauma they could deal with together, as much as supporters as father and son. Kiros would continue to be by Laguna's side, as would Ward, and the pair would do what they could to make sure Squall and Laguna had the time they needed to get to know each other. Things would go back to normal, and in two weeks when they all returned to their respective jobs life would take up it's old, monotone routine. Maybe some other even would come up to excite their lives, but here was hoping that it was something positive.

Well, knowing Laguna's luck, that certainly wasn't going to be!

**

* * *

****Final note: **

Just a few things:

**When Ward wrote that note to Laguna telling him Kiros was mad, it was actually what Kiros had said. It was a lie, of course, but it was for his own protection and a mistake on his part. **

**Sorry about the abrupt ending too. That's the only thing I don't lik, but I think Laguna suffered enough :). **

**And thanks in advance to the people who revies my story, you all deserve cookies!**


End file.
